The hypnotic image you see above is the result of a six-month exposure. Taking a photo that lasts half a year results in something that isn’t just a picture, but also a record of the weather and of the passage of the Earth around the Sun.(Courtesy WIRED Magazine)
Constructing a Pinhole Camera
Our NIST Adventures in Science class made pinhole cameras out of recycled aluminum cans collected in Rock Creek Park. Instead of photographic paper, we used sunlight sensitive paper to record our images of the migrating sun. This meant we did not need a dark room to insert the paper in the aluminum can. A three week experiment of the camera's tracking of the sun across the winter sky yielded the image below (left) that was then scanned and converted to a positive image on the right with simple photo manipulation software.(Ideally, a pinhole camera tracking the sun should be left in place to view the sun's path across the sky for several months.
DIY Pinhole Cameras: Instructions, Resources & Articles
Constructing a Pinhole Camera
Our NIST Adventures in Science class made pinhole cameras out of recycled aluminum cans collected in Rock Creek Park. Instead of photographic paper, we used sunlight sensitive paper to record our images of the migrating sun. This meant we did not need a dark room to insert the paper in the aluminum can. A three week experiment of the camera's tracking of the sun across the winter sky yielded the image below (left) that was then scanned and converted to a positive image on the right with simple photo manipulation software.(Ideally, a pinhole camera tracking the sun should be left in place to view the sun's path across the sky for several months.
Web Sites About Pinhole Cameras & Solargraphy:
Six-Month Pinhole Exposure Shows the Sun’s TravelsHow to Capture the Sun in a Beer Can
Pinhole Photography
More Pinhole Camera Web Links
Web Sites about the Sun & the Seasons
Why do we have seasons?The angle of the sun's rays
The geography of the seasons
Global Circulations